Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
He nods at her intrusion but keeps his gaze pinned on me. “You did tell me, but you neglected to mention that you’d be stopping by tonight.”
“Well, I’m here now.” Her hand flies past him, headed right for me. “I’m Ava. I’m Declan’s sister.”
“Abby.” I take her hand gingerly for a soft shake.
“I love that outfit.” She grins. “I’ll be out of his hair in five minutes flat, so don’t change your plans on my account.”
“I should head home,” I tell them both since whatever magic was stirring between Declan and me seems lost now.
Declan tilts his chin down. “It was a pleasure, Abby.”
“Thank you for the ride,” I whisper.
“Any time.” He moves his long legs and shifts to the side to slide off the seat and to his feet on the sidewalk next to his sister.
“Let’s get you home,” the driver says before the door closes, and what might have been vanishes in the blink of an eye.
CHAPTER THREE
Declan
“You’re not going to get laid because of me.”
I toss my younger sister a look meant to shut her up. It fails miserably.
“She was cute, Decky. I loved her costume.” She bats her eyelashes. “Where did you find her? Was it in Times Square? Does she take pictures with tourists?”
Abigail is an attorney. She works for one of my closest friends at the firm founded by his great-grandfather decades ago.
She viewed me as a stranger tonight, yet I sought out a very beautiful and familiar face when I saw her on that sidewalk.
We work in the same building. I noticed her months ago, but the fact that I spotted her twice holding hands with a man who didn’t understand the value of a well-tailored suit kept me at bay.
I haven’t seen that man in weeks, so I approached Abby tonight, believing that the path to fuck her is now free of entanglements. Given how she looked at me, I still think that, but Ava’s unexpected interruption brought the evening to an abrupt halt.
“No,” I answer succinctly. “And it’s Declan.”
As annoying as it is, the nickname has become a staple within my family. Not only do my brother and sister use it regularly, but my parents, whenever they grace New York City with their presence, have started using it as well.
I would outright hate it, but it’s always delivered with a hint of fondness.
“I’m sorry I messed up your plans,” Ava says as she twirls the ruby and diamond engagement ring on her finger.
She may only be twenty-one, but she found the love of her life in our brother’s best friend. Ava and her fiancé, Harrison Keene, are building a life together, just as Sean and Callie are.
I’m the odd man out, and I’m fine with that.
“Don’t worry about it.” I toss her a smile as the elevator crawls up to my floor.
The building I live in is one of the most sought-after residences in the city, but it’s ancient. That’s evident not only in the architectural details in the common areas but in the workings of the elevators and the noises that emanate from the walls and crevices.
When Ava stayed with me briefly a few months ago, she deemed the structure haunted. If anything, it’s haunted by the beauty it contains. It’s rich in history, which is one of the reasons I bought my apartment.
You can’t beat old New York City charm.
“You wanted her to come up to your place,” she states. “I know it.”
“If that’s true, you would have walked away when you noticed her in my car,” I counter.
She blinks twice. “Why didn’t I do that?”
The elevator slows as it signals its arrival on my floor. I motion for Ava to exit first, which she does with a bounce in her step.
I follow behind, loosening the bowtie around my neck.
Ava approaches the door and calls back to me. “I’ll key in the code.”
She does just that, pushing a four-digit PIN into the keypad. The light above it flashes red, so she tries again. The second attempt is another failure.
That spins her around to face me. “You changed the code?”
I move around her, dropping my gaze to her furrowed brow. “I did.”
Her hands fall to her hips. “Why?”
“Why do you think?” Turning my back to her, I key in the new code.
It’s far from a secret. If she asks for it, I’ll give it. Ava lives in a brownstone with her fiancé, but she knows that if she wants a brotherly shoulder to lean on, that’s offered here.
“Because of me?” Her voice is laced with a tinge of sadness, or maybe it’s surprise.
I step aside to give her entry to my home. “No, Ava. I hired someone new to clean. I changed it then.”
Relief settles over her expression. “Good. Although, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I have been calling before I show up.”